At New York Law School on July 24, BizBash and Eventbrite will host Elevate, a one-day workshop and conference for meeting and event professionals that will explore trends in social media, technology, event sponsorship, and more.
As a preview, we asked Julia Hartz, president and co-founder of Eventbrite, to share what she knows about getting the most from online registration and ticketing systems, observations she's made at the fast-growing, seven-year-old company. Here are her tips:
1. It's not just about fun—Facebook shares drive meaningful ticket sales, too. Our Global Social Commerce report tells us that on average, each time your event is shared on Facebook, it drives $4.15 back to your event. Sweet deal, right? It's not surprising that the magic of a live experience is best shared with friends, but it's good to know that these friends also help drive sales.
2. Tweeting drives page views, so if you want more eyes on your event page, head to the Twittersphere. In that very same report, we found that on average, each tweet drives 33 visits to an event registration page.
3. Free events have about a 50 percent show rate, no matter what type of event it is. Organizers can easily increase that number by charging attendees a small amount for a ticket and providing them with an item of value at the event (like drinks, appetizers, some sort of physical takeaway, etc.). Also, you can never put enough information on the event page. Potential attendees want to know exactly what they're getting into. And by adding lots of details, photos, and even videos, you're increasing the likelihood that a potential attendee will convert.
4. People are notorious for waiting until the last minute to buy tickets. It's common to see 40 percent of ticket sales happen in the week before an event takes place. So don't stress—but don't just sit there, either. Consider setting up tiered ticketing. People are more likely to purchase their ticket early (and spare yourself the heart attack) when they're incentivized.
5. Event-goers are busy people. Maximize attendance (and convenience) by making sure your event page and purchase flow is optimized for mobile devices to let attendees register on the go.
6. Registration can provide you with a lot of information about your audience. Adding survey questions during the checkout process is a great way to discover information about your attendees, from their Twitter handle to their job title to their age group. Use the data to help understand the audience and build smarter customer relations and marketing efforts that you can leverage beyond the event.
7. Studies show that 11 percent of people abandon an online purchase if the checkout process is too complex. Increase conversion by limiting the number of steps in the checkout process and only collecting the information you really need.
Hartz's final tip: "When you're getting ready to organize your next event, make sure to pick a ticketing partner that understands your needs, your goals, and your audience. Listen for them to communicate a sales strategy and a marketing plan, with customer support services available to you and your attendees 24/7. Because whether you're throwing a 60,000-person festival or an intimate gathering, you deserve the best team and tools backing you up from the first conversation to the last call."
Registration for Elevate is open now; attendees can register at bizbash.com/elevate.
